Recent years have seen an increase in the use of mobile platforms incorporating both wireless networking capabilities (e.g., WiFi) and global positioning system (GPS) capabilities. Such mobile platforms include, for example, mobile computing devices, such as laptop computers, tablet computers, smartphones, etc., and systems of transportation, such as automotive vehicles, buses, motorcycles, trains, marine vessels, aircraft, rotorcraft and the like.
Under most conditions, current GPS systems are capable of quickly providing highly accurate positioning data. Nevertheless, under non-optimal conditions, GPS systems might provide ambiguous data—for example, in cases where the mobile platform is in a position in which the optimal number of GPS satellites may not be observable by the mobile platform, such as a canyon, a tunnel, a parking garage, etc.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide more robust systems and methods for determining the position of a mobile platform relative to its environment in cases where the GPS positioning data is ambiguous. Additional desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.